Mixing chamber for shower heads



Oct. 29, 1957 w. H. HoPPER MIXING CHAMBER FOR SHOWER HEADS Filed oct. 1s, 1954 CLEAR WA TER INVENTOR.

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Attorneys s MIXING CHAMBER FOR SHOWER HEADS William H. Hopper, Millbrae, Calif.

Application October 13, 1954, Serial No. 462,016

1 Claim. (Cl. 23-267) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in mixing devices for use with shower heads to supply a controlled mixture of soapy water thereto.

An important object of the invention is to provide a casing forming a mixing chamber having a perforated soap container therein and mounted on the shower pipe for by-passing water through the chamber to discharge soapy water from the shower head.

Another object is to swingably mount the soap chamber on the shower pipe to control registering ports therein to selectively by-pass water through or to cut-olf ow of water to the chamber.

A further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction which is eiicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on a line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing the by-pass ports to the chamber closed;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view with parts in section and showing the by-pass ports to the chamber open; and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 4 designates a shower pipe having a shower head or spray nozzle 5 of a conventional type at the lower or discharge end of the pipe.

A rectangular shaped, at casing 6 is constructed to form a main mixing chamber 7 having a tube 8 extending longitudinally through the chamber adjacent to and spaced from one longitudinal end wall 9 of the casing for swingably supporting the casing on the pipe in a vertical position and for horizontal swinging movement thereon. Upper and lower threaded nipples 10 and 11 are formed on the top and bottom of the casing at the ends of the tube and nuts 12 and 13 are threaded thereon and are provided with sealing washers 14 to seal the upper and lower ends of the tube.

Pipe 4 and tube 8 are formed with registerng upper ports 15 and 16 and registering lower ports 17 and 18 and the tube is closed by a baille 19 immediately above the lower ports to by-pass ow of water in the pipe through the main chamber, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3.

The lower portion of main chamber 7 is formed with a smaller auxiliary chamber 20 in the region of baffle 19 as defined by a horizontal partition 20a and a pair of 2,81 1,422 patentedjoet.- 29,195.7

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2 vertical partitions 20b at diametrically opposite sidesfof the tube 8 and the chamber 20` is of semi-cylindrical shape to encompass the portion of tube 8 adjacent the end wall 9.

. Annpper port 21 is formed in chamber 20 for registering witha port 22 in pipe 4 above b'ae 19 'and a lower port 23 is formed in chamber 20 below the baille for registering with a port 24 in the pipe for the ow of water through the pipe to the shower head without passing through the chamber 7, Ias shown by the arrows in Figure 2.

The casing is held from sliding on pipe 4 to maintain the several ports in registering position by upper and lower collars 30 and 31 secured to the pipe by setscrews 32.

A door 25 having a sealing gasket 26 is hingedly mounted at the front edge of casing 6 to enable the placing and removal of a perforated container 27 in the main chamber to hold a cake of soap or supply of soap powder or other soluble bath substance.

In the operation of the device, when chamber 7 is turned on pipe 5 to register ports 15 and 17 in the chamber with the ports 16 and 18 of the pipe the Water will flow through the chamber to mix soapy water therewith for discharge from the shower head and when the chamber is turned to a position for cutting off ports 15 and 17 and for registering ports 21 and 23 in the smaller chamber 20 with ports 22 and 24 in the pipe the water will pass through the smallerchamber without entering main chamber 7 so that clear Water will reach the shower head.

The turning of the main chamber to a position for cutting off all the ports will cut-off the flow completely to the shower head.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifi-cations and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A mixing device comprising, a water pipe section, a tube in which said pipe section is journalled, said tube being integral with a casing, whereby said casing is swingably supported on the pipe section, means internally of the casing separating the same into a main chamber and an auxiliary chamber, said main chamber being adapted to contain soluble material, said pipe section having first, second, and third longitudinally spaced apart ports in the side walls of the pipe section and a partition in the pipe between the second and third pipe ports, the tube hav-t circumferentially alignable with said third pipe port, said first pipe port and said first tube port, and said third pipe port and said second tube port, respectively, being simultaneously circumferentially aligned upon movement of the casing to a rst position so as to allow ow through said water pipe, out said lirst pipe port and said first tube port into said main chamber and out through said third pipe port and said second tube port continue ow through said pipe, said tube also having longitudinally spaced apart third and fourth ports communicating with said auxiliary chamber, said third tube port being transversely aligned with and selectively circumferentially alignable with said second pipe port, said fourth tube port being transversely aligned with and selectively circumferentially alignable with said third pipe port, said fourth tube port and said second tube port being transversely spaced apart, ysaid second pipe port and said third tube `port, and said third pipe port and said fourth tube port, respectively, being simultaneously circumferentiallyl aligned upon movement of the vcasing to a second position so VasV to allow ow through said water pipe, out said second pipe port and said third tube port into said auxiliary chamber l0 2,811,422 p A A y and out through said third pipe port and said fourth port to continue flow through said pipe, and a third position of said casing wherein none of said ports are aligned and there is no iiow through said pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

